𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍:
Such an assassin

"I'M SORRY."

Edward says as he releases a deep breath as he looks first at Rose, then Jasper, and then Emmet.

"I didn't mean to put any of you at risk. It was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility for my hasty action," He continues as he then looks at Carlisle and Thalia.

The woman just nods at him in understanding as Carlisle wraps his arms around the back of her small waist.

Rosalie glares at him balefully. "What do you mean, 'take full responsibility'? Are you going to fix it?"

"Not the way you mean," Edward says, trying to keep his voice even and quiet, and adds, "I was already planning to leave before this happened. I'll go now..."

"The situation will resolve itself," he adds as he looks down on the floor.

"Edward."

"No, Edward."

Thalia and Esme say at the same time Thalia isn't going to allow Edward to leave, especially now that he needs someone.

Edward pats her hand and says, "It's just for a few years."

"Esme's right, though," Emmett speaks up. "You can't go anywhere. That would be the opposite of helpful. We have to know what people are thinking, now more than ever."

"Alice will catch anything major," Edward disagrees with a shake of his head.

Thalia looks at Carlisle and nods as the blonde man purses his lips and says, "I think Emmet is right, Edward. The girl will be more likely to talk if you disappear. It's all of us leave or none of us."

"She won't say anything," Edward confidently says, and Rosalie is building up to the explosion.

"You don't know her mind," Carlisle reminds him.

"I know this much. Alice, back me up," Edward says as he pleads with her.

Alice then warily says, "I can't see what will happen if we just ignore this," as she glances at Jasper and Rose.

She couldn't see the future-not when Rosalie and Jasper decided against ignoring the accident.

Then Rosalie's palm smacks down on the table with a loud bang. "We can't allow the human a chance to say anything. Carlisle, you must see that. Even if we decided to all disappear, it's not safe to leave stories behind us. We live so differently from the rest of our kind-you know, there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers. We have to be more careful!"

"We've left rumors before," Edward reminds her, and Rosalie immediately disagrees. "Just rumors and suspicions, Edward. Not eyewitnesses and evidence!"

"Evidence!" Edward scoffs as he rolls his eyes. And Jasper is nodding in agreement with what Rosalie just said.

"Rose-" Carlisle begins as Rosalie cuts him off.

The blonde is too furious to let Carlisle be the mediator.

"Let me finish, Carlisle. It doesn't have to be any big production. The girl hit her head today. So maybe that injury turns out to be more serious than it looked."

Rosalie shrugs, then adds, "Every mortal goes to sleep with the chance of never waking up. The others would expect us to clean up after ourselves. Technically, that would make it Edward's job, but this is obviously behind him. You know I'm capable of control. I would not leave evidence behind me. Jasper and I will take care of the human problem." Jasper nods in agreement.

"Yes, Rosalie, we all know how much an assassin you are," Edward snarls as he reads what Rosalie is thinking.

"Edward, please," Carlisle says. Then he turns to Rosalie, "Rosalie, I looked the other way in Rochester because I felt that you were owed your justice. The men you killed had wronged you monstrously. This is not the same situation. The Swan girl is innocent."

"It's nothing personal, Carlisle," Rosalie says through her teeth. "It's to protect us all."

Thalia then clears her throat and speaks, "I understand your concern about protecting us, Rosalie, but killing an innocent human isn't the solution. She's Charlie's only daughter, Rose. If Charlie loses her, think of what he'll go through." Carlisle and Esme nod in agreement.

Rosalie just purses her lips and looks away. She never wants to argue with Thalia because her words always strike her.

Then Carlisle nods as Rosalie's eyes look at him and say, "I know you mean well, Rosalie, but...I'd like very much for our family to be worth protecting. The occasional...accident or laps in control is a regrettable part of what we are."

"To murder a blameless child in cold blood is another thing entirely. I believe the risk she presents, whether she speaks her suspicions or not, is nothing to the thing much more important. We risk losing the essence of who we are," Carlisle says then Edward fights with a grin on his face.

"Then what do you suggest we do? Carlisle," Christopher asks. He agrees with Rosalie. He doesn't like putting Esme at risk because of a human.

"The question is whether we should move on," Carlisle answers as he looks at them individually.

"No," Rosalie immediately disagrees. "We just got settled. I don't want to start on my sophomore year in high school again!"

"You could keep your present age, of course," Carlisle tells her.

"And have to move again that much sooner?" Rosalie counters, and Carlisle just shrugs.

"I like it here! There's so little sun. We get to be almost normal," Rosalie adds.

"Well, we certainly don't have to decide now. We can wait and see if it becomes necessary. Edward seems certain of the Swan girl's silence," Carlisle says as he looks at Edward, and Rosalie just snorts.

"Jasper," Edward says as he looks at the honey-blonde man who remains unmoved the whole discussion. The man meets his gaze, his face expressionless.

"She won't pay for my mistakes. I won't allow that."

"She benefits from it, then? She should have died today. Ask Thalia if she felt it, Edward. I would only set it right."

"I will not allow it," Edward says, emphasizing every word, and Jasper raises an eyebrow, not expecting his act to stop him.

He shakes his head once and says, "I will not allow my fiancée to go home to me and immediately has to deal with a human problem, she's been through so much, Edward, more than me, and I would like her to feel serenity when she's here. You don't feel about anyone the way I feel about her, and you haven't lived through what we've lived through, whether you've seen my memories or not. You don't understand."

"I'm not disputing that, Jasper. But I'm telling you now. I won't allow you to hurt Bella Swan," Edward says as they stare at each other-not glaring, but measuring the opposition.

"Jazz," Alice says, interrupting them. Jasper held Edward's gaze as he then looks at Alice, then shakes his head. "Don't even bother changing my mind, Alice. Her safety always comes first."

"That's not what I'm saying," Alice interrupts. "I was going to ask you a favor."

"You know how she is, Jasper. She would disagree with what you are planning right now. She's been through enough killings. She sacrificed her own freedom for you to be away from that, she wouldn't like you coming back to that, and secondly, I have a feeling that she and Bella will be friends, with me, at least she's going to be." Alice says as she tries to convince him, as her eyes glaze, she's having one of her visions.

"But...Alice..." Jasper tries to argue, yet Alice interrupts him again. "She and I are going to love her, Jazz. We'll be very put out with you if you don't let her be."

"Ah," Alice sighs-his indecision has cleared a new future. "See? Bella's not going to say anything. There's nothing to worry about."

"Alice," Edward says. "What...does this...?"

"I told you there was a change coming. I don't know, Edward," Alice says as she locks her jaw as she tries to keep something from Edward.

"What, Alice? What are you hiding?" Edward demands, and Thalia and the others, too, are confused. They are having a mental conversation with each other.

"Is it about the girl?" Edward demands, "Is it about Bella?"

Alice's teeth gritted in concentration. However, when Edward spoke Bella's name, her vision seemed to slip.

"No!" Edward yells out, and Thalia is startled by the sudden outrage, and Carlisle just puts her behind him.

"Edward," Carlisle warns as he places a hand on his shoulder.

"It's solidifying," Alice whispers. "Every minute, you're more decided. There are really only two ways left for her. It's one or the other, Edward."

"No," Edward says again.

"This is so annoying," Emmett complains.

"I have to leave," Edward whispers to Alice, ignoring Emmett's complaint.

"Edward, we've already been over that," Emmett says loudly. "That's the best way to start the girl talking. Besides, if you take off, we won't know for sure if she's talking or not. You have to stay and deal with this."

"I don't see you going anywhere, Edward," Alice tells him. "I don't know if you can leave anymore."

"I don't hear that," Edward contradicts what Alice is saying in her mind.

"Love her too?" Edward whispers incredulously. Thalia and Carlisle look at each other, already knowing where Alice's vision goes.

"No," Edward disagrees again, "I don't have to follow that course. I'll leave. I will change the future."

"Oh, come on!" Emmett bellows.

"Pay attention," Rosalie hisses at him and continues, "Alice sees him falling for a human! How classically Edward!"

"What?" Emmett says, startled. His booming laugh echoes throughout the room. "Is that what's happening?"

Emmett laughs again, "Tough break, Edward."

"Fall for a human?" Esme repeats as she removes Christopher's hand from her shoulder and walks towards Edward, "For the girl he saved today? Fall in love with her?"

"What do you see, Alice, exactly" Jasper demands.

"It all depends on whether he is strong enough. Either he'll kill her himself-" she turns to meet his gaze as she glares at him, "-which would really irritate me, Edward, not to mention what it would do to you-" Then she faces Carlisle and Jasper. "Or she'll be one of us someday."

"That's not going to happen!" Edward shouts, "Either one!"

Alice repeats again as if she didn't hear him, "It all depends"

"He may be just strong enough not to kill her-but it will be close. It will take an amazing amount of control," Alice muses.

"More, even, than Carlisle has. The only thing he's not strong enough to do is stay away from her. That's a lost cause."

Edward stares at Alice as everyone stares at him, waiting for his say on the matter.

"Well, this...complicates things," Carlisle says as he places his chin on top of Thalia's head since he is much taller than her.

"I'll say," Emmett agrees.

"I suppose the plans remain the same, though. We'll stay and watch. Obviously, no one will...hurt the girl," Carlisle says. Thalia and Esme agree, Christopher, not so much.

"No," Jasper says quietly, "I can agree to that. If Alice sees only two ways-"

"No!" Edward shouts again, his voice sounding more of a growl or a cry of despair. "No!"

Then Edward storms out of the room and out of the house into the forest.

Thalia then sighed as she rubbed her temple. "We'll continue this tomorrow. Our emotions are at peak. We'll resolve everything once we calmed down."

Author's Note:

➵ I LOVE JASPER HERE. HE IS SO HOT, LIKE, OMG!!